Lionel Messi: I can’t imagine leaving Barcelona

One love: Lionel Messi cannot imagine leaving Barcelona and his fellow team-mates for any other club

Lionel Messi is so good that he is one of few players in the world, if not the only one, who can dictate their future as a player. There has been surprisingly little speculation about the Argentinian trickster leaving his beloved Barcelona for another club in the past, probably because you cannot put a price on his talent.

The man who has for so long, by so many, been regarded as the best footballer in the world, and possibly the best ever to have played, has now spoken of his love for the club who made him the wonderman he is today.

“Leaving Barca to join a club like PSG? I have the best team-mates in the world. Each year we are fighting for titles,” said Messi.

“Barcelona is a wonderful city too. Barca is the club where I have grown. Frankly, I couldn’t imagine myself leaving.”

The Argentina star has also expressed his disappointment at not winning the Champions League last season with the Catalans, and he shoulders the blame for missing his penalty in Barca’s semi-final defeat to eventual winners Chelsea.

“I have already stated it is a prickle that has remained in my heart,” explained Messi.

“Of course I have been disappointed by that defeat because we deserved a goal there, which would have put us in a better position for the return leg.

“We didn’t have success even if we did everything. Now that penalty, if I scored it, would have changed everything. Maybe it would have allowed us to win another Champions League but that is in the past.”

“I’ve kicked that penalty so many times in my mind. Above all it is during the final that I thought if I had scored it we would have been in Chelsea’s position.”

It seems unthinkable that Messi could feel responsible for anything negative at Barcelona after his world class performances every single week for the current leaders of La Liga, but you wouldn’t bet against the fired-up superstar leading Tito Vilanova’s men to glory this time round as he seeks to make amends for the one mistake he’s made in recent memory.